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Armies of the Volga Bulgars & Khanate of Kazan
by Gerry Embleton Viacheslav ShpakovskyFacing off against Byzantines, Arabs, Vikings, Turks, Mongols, and Russians, this steppe culture dominated Black Sea and Caucasus trade during Medieval times.The Bulgars were a Turkic people who established a state north of the Black Sea, and who showed similarities with the Alans and Sarmatians. In the late 500s and early 600s AD their state fragmented under pressure from the Khazars; one group moved south into what became Bulgaria, but the rest moved north during the 7th and 8th centuries to the basin of the Volga river. There they remained under Khazar domination until the Khazar Khanate was defeated by Kievan (Scandinavian) Russia in 965. Thereafter the Volga Bulgars - controlling an extensive area surrounding an important hub of international trade - became richer and more influential; they embraced Islam, becoming the most northerly of medieval peoples to do so. Given their central position on trade routes, their armies were noted for the splendour of their armour and weapons, which drew upon both Western and Eastern sources and influences (as, eventually, did their fighting tactics).In the 1220s they managed to maul Genghis Khan's Mongols, who returned to devastate their towns in revenge. By the 1350s they had recovered much of their wealth, but they were caught in the middle between the Tatar Golden Horde and the Christian Russian principalities. They were ravaged by these two armies in turn on several occasions between 1360 and 1431. A new city then rose from the ashes - Kazan, originally called New Bulgar - and the successor Islamic Khanate of Kazan resisted the Russians until falling to Ivan the Terrible in 1552. The costumes, armament, armour and fighting methods of the Volga Bulgars during this momentous period are explored in this fully illustrated study.
Armies of the War of the Pacific 1879-83
by Gabriele EspositoThe Pacific War was the climax of the decades-long Wars of Liberation, and is one of the most important conflicts in South American history. After winning their independence from Spain in 1825, Peru and Bolivia became separate nations - but over the following years repeated attempts to re-unite them were frustrated by the neighboring powers, particularly Chile. By the 1870s Chilean military superiority and expansionist policies exploded into full scale conflict. This book examines the troops, uniforms and equipment used by forces on all three sides of the conflict and traces the events of the war from the early naval blockades to the full-scale amphibious landings undertaken by the Chilean forces. The war ended in total victory for Chile, and that country's emergence thereafter as 'the Prussia of South America', while it cost Peru a lucrative province, and Bolivia its outlet to the Pacific coast.
Arming America: The Origins of a National Gun Culture
by Michael A. BellesilesBellesiles (history, Emory U. ) explodes a number of myths about the role of guns in American history. Examining probate records, correspondence of militia commanders, and a number of other sources he finds that gun ownership among average Americans wasn't widespread until as late as the Civil War. He also argues that from the very beginning of European settlement, guns were highly regulated by authorities and that guns were viewed as having a special status as being ultimately at the disposal of government.
Arming East Russia (Adelphi series)
by Tim Huxley Susan WillettDuring the 1990s, military spending, arms procurement and defence industrialisation have all increased rapidly in East Asia. Although these developments do not constitute an arms race, they nevertheless have important implications for suppliers of defence equipment, for arms control and for regional stability. This paper assesses trends in the defence spending of East Asian states, particularly in the light of the economic crisis, which began in mid-1997. It also focuses on three closely-related issues: the nature of the regional market for defence equipment; defence industrialisation; and the effect of trends in defence procurement and industrialisation on East Asian states' military capabilities, and on the regional military balance.
Arming Slaves: From Classical Times to the Modern Age
by Christopher Leslie Brown Philip D. MorganArming slaves as soldiers is a counterintuitive idea. Yet throughout history, in many varied societies, slaveholders have entrusted slaves with the use of deadly force. This book is the first to survey the practice broadly across space and time, encompassing the cultures of classical Greece, the early Islamic kingdoms of the Near East, West and East Africa, the British and French Caribbean, the United States, and Latin America. To facilitate cross-cultural comparisons, each chapter addresses four crucial issues: the social and cultural facts regarding the arming of slaves, the experience of slave soldiers, the ideological origins and consequences of equipping enslaved peoples for battle, and the impact of the practice on the status of slaves and slavery itself. What emerges from the book is a new historical understanding: the arming of slaves is neither uncommon nor paradoxical but is instead both predictable and explicable.
Arming the British Police: The Great Debate
by Roy IngletonAs the fear of violent crime escalates, there are calls for the police to carry guns. This examination of the history of violent crime and violence against the representatives of law and order looks at the extent to which the "unarmed" British police have had recourse to firearms in the past.
Arming the Periphery
by Emrys ChewA major historical study of the global arms trade, revolving around the transfer of small arms from metropolitan Europe to the turbulent frontiers of Indian Ocean societies during the 'long' nineteenth century (c. 1780-1914).
Arming the Royal Navy, 1793–1815: The Office of Ordnance and the State (Warfare, Society and Culture #4)
by Gareth ColeThe Office of Ordnance has been ill-served by previous accounts of its role in arming the Royal Navy during the French Revolution and Napoleonic Wars. Cole offers an in-depth examination of its organizational structure and demonstrates how the department responded to the pressures of war over an extended period of time.
Arming the Western Front: War, Business and the State in Britain 1900–1920 (Routledge Studies in First World War History)
by Roger Lloyd-Jones M.J. LewisThe First World War was above all a war of logistics. Whilst the conflict will forever be remembered for the mud and slaughter of the Western Front, it was a war won on the factory floor as much as the battlefield. Examining the war from an industrial perspective, Arming the Western Front examines how the British between 1900 and 1920 set about mobilising economic and human resources to meet the challenge of 'industrial war'. Beginning with an assessment of the run up to war, the book examines Edwardian business-state relations in terms of armament supply. It then outlines events during the first year of the war, taking a critical view of competing constructs of the war and considering how these influenced decision makers in both the private and public domains. This sets the framework for an examination of the response of business firms to the demand for 'shells more shells', and their varying ability to innovate and manage changing methods of production and organisation. The outcome, a central theme of the book, was a complex and evolving trade-off between the quantity and quality of munitions supply, an issue that became particularly acute during the Battle of the Somme in 1916. This deepened the economic and political tensions between the military, the Ministry of Munitions, and private engineering contractors as the pressure to increase output accelerated markedly in the search for victory on the western front. The Great War created a dual army, one in the field, the other at home producing munitions, and the final section of the book examines the tensions between the two as the country strove for final victory and faced the challenges of the transition to the peace time economy.
Arming without Aiming
by Sunil Dasgupta Stephen P. CohenIndia has long been motivated to modernize its military, and it now has the resources. But so far, the drive to rebuild has lacked a critical component-strategic military planning. India's approach of arming without strategic purpose remains viable, however, as it seeks great-power accommodation of its rise and does not want to appear threatening. What should we anticipate from this effort in the future, and what are the likely ramifications? Stephen Cohen and Sunil Dasgupta answer those crucial questions in a book so timely that it reached number two on the nonfiction bestseller list in India."Two years after the publication of Arming without Aiming, our view is that India's strategic restraint and its consequent institutional arrangement remain in place. We do not want to predict that India's military-strategic restraint will last forever, but we do expect that the deeper problems in Indian defense policy will continue to slow down military modernization."-from the preface to the paperback edition
Armistead and Garnett
by Robert K. KrickVirginians Lewis A. Armistead and Richard B. Garnett, two Confederate officers killed during Pickett's Charge at Gettysburg, lived remarkably parallel lives. In this Civil War Short, Robert K. Krick follows the two men from their early military careers fighting against American Indians and Mormons through two decades of military service and onto the field at Gettysburg, where both were mortally wounded. The work was originally published in The Third Day at Gettysburg and Beyond, edited by Gary W. Gallagher, which combines fresh evidence with the reinterpretation of standard sources to testify to the enduring impact of the Civil War on our national consciousness and refocus our view of the third day at Gettysburg. UNC Press Civil War Shorts excerpt rousing narratives from distinguished books published by the University of North Carolina Press on the military, political, social, and cultural history of the Civil War era. Produced exclusively in ebook format, they focus on pivotal moments and figures and are intended to provide a concise introduction, stir the imagination, and encourage further exploration of the topic. For in-depth analysis, contextualization, and perspective, we invite readers to consider the original publications from which these works are drawn.
Armistice: Armistice (Images of the National Archives)
by Louise Bell11th November 1918 saw the signing of the armistice that ended fighting between the Allies and Germany.This book will take the reader through the final year of the First World War and everything that led up to this day. Starting from the Spring Offensive, photos and images from The National Archives will highlight important points ranging from the last 100 days to the signing of the various treaties before this final armistice, finishing with a look at the Peace Parade in 1919. The physical and mental effects of the war will also be examined, and show how the war never really ended in 1918 for many.Many rarely seen images will be provided to support the narrative and further highlight the depth of The National Archives' First World War records.
Armistice: The Hot War (The Hot War #3)
by Harry TurtledoveIn the final book of the blistering trilogy The Hot War, old hatreds and new chances for revenge are unleashed on an already devastated world—as the Cold War becomes a roaring inferno.In 1952 American cities lie in ruins. President Harry Truman, in office since 1945, presides over a makeshift government in Philadelphia, suffering his own personal loss and fearing for the future of democracy. In the wake of Hitler’s reign, Germany and America have become allies, and Stalin’s vise hold on power in the USSR persists. Unwilling to trust the Soviet tyrant, Truman launches a long-planned nuclear strike on the city of Omsk—killing Stalin and plunging the Red Army into leaderless, destructive anarchy. Meanwhile, the Baltic states careen toward rebellion, and Poland is seized by rebels bred on war. In a world awash with victims turned victors, refugees, and killers, has Truman struck a blow for peace or fueled more chaos? As these staggering events unfold, the lives of men and women across battle lines, ethnicities, and religions play out across the globe. In Los Angeles, an extended Jewish family builds a future, while the foul smell of a refugee camp in Santa Monica blows in on the ocean breeze. In Korea, a U.S. fighter struggles to bring his Korean interpreter stateside as a full American. In Siberia, two German women fight for their survival in a gulag—and begin a strange, harrowing journey home. From the terrifying global chess match between superpowers to the strength of individual human conscience, Armistice captures a world that’s been split to its core by the violence only mankind can create. Through the thunder of battle, the clashes of armies, and the whispers of lovers, how humanity will be rebuilt, and who will do it, are the questions that resound in this marvelous work of imagination and history. PRAISE FOR HARRY TURTLEDOVE “Turtledove is the standard-bearer for alternate history.”—USA Today Fallout “No one writes alternate-history novels quite like Turtledove. . . . Expect epic political stakes as well as personal and heartfelt stories of war.”—BookTrib Bombs Away “Turtledove’s thorough research and grounded imagination work to create a frighteningly realistic past where world leaders act out of desperation and fatalism and a large cast of common folk suffer the consequences. . . . The vicarious sense of eschatological dread is always powerful.”—Booklist Last Orders “All quite plausible . . . Turtledove’s focus on the characters serves to fill out the big picture with patient, nitty-gritty detail. . . . Armchair warriors will have much to ponder.”—Kirkus Reviews Two Fronts “A you-are-there chronicle of battle on land and sea and in the air.”—Tor.com
Armor
by John SteakleyThe planet is called Banshee. The air is unbreathable, the water poisonous. It is the home of the most implacable enemies that humanity, in all its interstellar expansion, has ever encountered. Body armor has been devised for the commando forces that are to be dropped on Banshee-the culmination of ten thousand years of the armorers' craft. A trooper in this armor is a one-man, atomic-powered battle fortress-but he will have to fight a nearly endless horde of berserk, hard-shelled monsters-the fighting arm of a species which uses biological technology to design perfect, mindless, war minions. Felix is a scout in A-teamTwo. Highly competent, he is the sole survivor of mission after mission. Yet he is a man consumed by fear and hatred. And he is protected, not only by his custom-fitted body armor, but by an odd being which seems to live within him, a cold killing machine he calls "The Engine." This is Felix's story-a story of the horror, the courage, and the deadliness of combat, and the story of how strength of spirit can be the greatest armor of all.
Armor Attacks: An Interactive Exercise in Small-unit Tactics and Leadership
by John F. Antal“Extremely clever . . . part tactical decision game (TDG), part combat adventure page turner, and part The Defense of Duffer’s Drift.” —Capt. Randall P. Newman, USMCIn this unique, interactive story, you are the leader of a U.S. Army M1 Abrams tank platoon. Throughout the text, you’ll have an opportunity to make life-or-death decisions, and the events that unfold will be dictated by the choices you make. As you progress through the book, you’ll learn important tactical and operational lessons. Whether or not you are—or want to be—a tank platoon leader, you’ll find this book both highly entertaining and instructive.There are two operations to survive—an assault and a counter-reconnaissance mission. In each you must bring your knowledge and judgment to bear on the scenario in order to achieve the objective. If you choose wrong, defeat and even death may be your fate. If you succeed, you can savor the taste of victory and live to fight another day. The scenarios are highly realistic, and there are maps and appendices with detailed specifications of the hardware involved to help you make informed decisions.Written before Operation Desert Storm and published in 1991, Armor Attacks may feature military technology that’s dated by today’s standards—but the need for human leadership and effective, rapid decision-making has not changed. Armor Attacks was recognized as an invaluable teaching tool by United States Military Academy, West Point and was used to teach cadets the essential skills of leadership, decision-making, and tactics—a decade of USMA leaders trained with this book. To supplement the original text, this new edition includes the West Point instructor reference guide, which explains and amplifies the teaching points of each scenario encountered.
Armor Battles of the Waffen-SS: 1943–45 (Stackpole Military History Series)
by Will FeyThis German WWII military history offers an in-depth view of armored combat across Europe from the perspective of the Waffen SS. The Waffen SS were considered the elite of the German armed forces in the Second World War and were involved in almost continuous combat. In this volume, a former Waffen SS captain offers an in-depth account of their armored combat operations across the European Theater and into the Eastern Front. From the sweeping tank battle of Kursk in southwestern Russian to the bitter fighting among the hedgerows of Normandy and the last great offensive in the Ardennes, forever immortalized in history at the Battle of the Bulge, this chronicle presents a vivid frontline view of the drama.
Armor Command: of CCB, 1st Armored Division, and of the Armored School during World War II
by Brig.-Gen. Paul McDonald Robinett“Armor Command is a candid book presenting the activities and observations of an armor commander who was among the first overseas and in action against the European Axis in World War II. All who are interested in the activities of combat troops that make or break the reputations of high military figures and all those who desire an understanding of life in the combat zone will find this book of compelling interest. Military men will find it of professional value for it deals with the problems of a small command in the initial campaign against the German-Italian Allies. Among other things it deals with the problems of the meeting engagement and the withdrawal—two of the most difficult operations in war.”—Foreword
Armor In Vietnam [Illustrated Edition]
by Frederick Eugene OldinskyIncludes 24 mapsThis thesis begins with a brief history of armored vehicles from their earliest concepts to the modern battle tank of today. It critically examines the decision not to include tank units with the first American combat forces deployed in Vietnam and the irrationality of that decision in light of a similar decision made prior to the Korean conflict.Tanks were deployed in limited numbers in Vietnam in spite of a decision to the contrary and, once there, I proved their usefulness and their ability to perform in a tropical environment against an elusive enemy. Examples of the tank's effectiveness in Vietnam are given and the feasibility of deploying major armored forces to that country is discussed.Problems created by insufficient armor are addressed as well as the limitations and vulnerabilities of tanks and other armored vehicles.Armor doctrine is traced from the tank's role in breaking the stalemate of World War I through the formative years of World War II, and its application to the war in Vietnam.Since most armored weapons were designed primarily for conventional warfare, a number of modifications were required to adapt the weapons to an unconventional war. Some of the more significant modifications are described.Finally, lessons learned by the Vietnam experience and their future application are discussed. Concluding consideration in the paper is whether or not decision makers will need these lessons learned or continue to make the same mistakes.
Armor and Blood: The Battle of Kursk
by Dennis E. ShowalterOne of America's most distinguished military historians offers the definitive account of the greatest tank battle of World War II--an epic clash of machines and men that matched the indomitable will of the Soviet Red Army against the awesome might of the Nazi Wehrmacht. While the Battle of Kursk has long captivated World War II aficionados, it has been unjustly overlooked by historians. Drawing on the masses of new information made available by the opening of the Russian military archives, Dennis Showalter at last corrects that error. This battle was the critical turning point on World War II's Eastern Front. In the aftermath of the Red Army's brutal repulse of the Germans at Stalingrad, the stakes could not have been higher. More than three million men and eight thousand tanks met in the heart of the Soviet Union, some four hundred miles south of Moscow, in an encounter that both sides knew would reshape the war. The adversaries were at the peak of their respective powers. On both sides, the generals and the dictators they served were in agreement on where, why, and how to fight. The result was a furious death grapple between two of history's most formidable fighting forces--a battle that might possibly have been the greatest of all time. In Armor and Blood, Showalter re-creates every aspect of this dramatic struggle. He offers expert perspective on strategy and tactics at the highest levels, from the halls of power in Moscow and Berlin to the battlefield command posts on both sides. But it is the author's exploration of the human dimension of armored combat that truly distinguishes this book. In the classic tradition of John Keegan's The Face of Battle, Showalter's narrative crackles with insight into the unique dynamics of tank warfare--its effect on men's minds as well as their bodies. Scrupulously researched, exhaustively documented, and vividly illustrated, this book is a chilling testament to man's ability to build and to destroy. When the dust settled, the field at Kursk was nothing more than a wasteland of steel carcasses, dead soldiers, and smoking debris. The Soviet victory ended German hopes of restoring their position on the Eastern Front, and put the Red Army on the road to Berlin. Armor and Blood presents readers with what will likely be the authoritative study of Kursk for decades to come.Advance praise for Armor and Blood "The size and the brutality of the vast tank battle at Kursk appalls, this struggle that gives an especially dark meaning to that shopworn phrase 'last full measure.' Prepare yourself for a wild and feverish ride over the steppes of Russia. You can have no better guide than Dennis E. Showalter, who speaks with an authority equaled by few military historians."--Robert Cowley, founding editor of MHQ: The Quarterly Journal of Military History "A fresh, skillful, and complete synthesis of recent revelations about this famous battle . . . As a myth buster, Armor and Blood is a must-read for those interested in general and military history."--David M. Glantz, editor of The Journal of Slavic Military Studies"Refreshingly crisp, pointed prose . . . Throughout, [Showalter] demonstrates his adeptness at interweaving discussions of big-picture strategy with interesting revelations and anecdotes. . . . Showalter does his best work by keeping his sights set firmly on the battle at hand, while also parsing the conflict for developments that would have far-reaching consequences for the war."--Publishers Weekly
Armored (Armored)
by Mark GreaneyOne last job, out of the fire, and into hell...From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Gray Man series comes a very different kind of hero.Joshua Duffy is a Close Protection Agent - a professional bodyguard, and he's one of the world's elite operatives. That is he was until his last mission in Lebanon. Against all odds, Josh got his primary out alive, but the cost was high. Josh lost his lower left leg. There's not much call for an elite bodyguard with such an injury. So, Josh has to support his family working as a mall cop in Jersey. For a man like Josh this is purgatory on earth, but even in Paramus miracles occur. A lucky run in with an old comrade promises to get Josh back in the field for one last job. The UN is sending a peace mission into the Sierra Madre Mountains in Mexico, an area so dangerous it's known as Espinazo del Diablo (The Devil's Spine). Only a fool would think they could broker peace between the homicidal drug cartels in the region and only a madman would sign on to keep those fools alive.Soon to be a major film by Michael Bay, Armored is a gasp-a-minute rollercoaster of a thriller.
Armored Attack 1944: U.S. Army Tank Combat in the European Theater from D-Day to the Battle of the Bulge
by Steven ZalogaAlmost 1,200 photos of American World War II armor from Shermans to Hellcats, accompanied by informative captions by a prominent military historian. Covering D-Day, the Normandy campaign, southern France, the Siegfried Line, the push to the Rhine, and the Battle of the Bulge, this pictorial history—the first of a two-volume set—includes 1,199 photographs of all varieties of American armor. Filled with images of U.S. Army armored units in combat in the European theater of operations, it&’s a rich resource for tank enthusiasts, modelers, and those interested in the military history of World War II.
Armored Cav: A Guided Tour Of An Armored Cavalry Regiment (Tom Clancy's Military Referenc #2)
by Tom ClancyA penetrating look inside an armored cavalry regiment -- the technology, the strategies, and the people . . . profiled by Tom Clancy.His first non-fiction book, Submarine, captured the reality of life aboard a nuclear warship. Now, the #1 bestselling author of Clear and Present Danger and Without Remorse portrays today's military as only army personnel can know it. With the same compelling, you-are-there immediacy of his acclaimed fiction, Tom Clancy provides detailed descriptions of tanks, helicopters, artillery, and more -- the brilliant technology behind the U. S. Army. He captures military life -- from the drama of combat to the daily routine -- with total accuracy, and reveals the roles and missions that have in recent years distinguished our fighting forces. Armored Cav includes:Descriptions of the M1A2 Main Battle Tank, the AH-64A Apache Attack Helicopter, and moreAn interview with General Frederick FranksStrategies behind the Desert Storm accountExclusive photograph, illustrations and diagramsPLUS: From West Point cadet to Desert Storm commander . . . an interview with a combat cavalry officer on the rise.
Armored Trains
by Steven J. Zaloga Tony BryanFirst seen during the American Civil War and later appearing in the Franco-Prussian War and the Anglo-Boer Wars, the armored train came to prominence on the Eastern Front during World War I. It was also deployed during the Russian Civil War and the technology traveled east into the Chinese Civil War, and the subsequent war with Japan. It saw service on the Russian Front in World War II, but was increasingly sidelined by its vulnerability to air attack. Steven J Zaloga examines the origins and development of the armored train focusing equally on the technical detail and on the fascinating story of how armored trains were actually used in combat. This title will appeal to armor, military history and railroad enthusiasts alike.From the Trade Paperback edition.
Armored Units of the Russian Civil War
by Peter Sarson David BullockBy 1920 the Red Army fielded an overwhelming array of armored cars and armored trains, while tank detachments had begun forming in earnest. These armored units played an important part in consolidating the newly won Bolshevik empire in the early 1920s; as a consequence of the fact that railways were the strategic arteries that essentially controlled Russia, armored trains have never played such a significant role in military history as they did in the Russian Civil War. This title details their management, construction and repair, personnel and training and combat on all fronts, as well as discussing Trotsky's armored train, in which he conducted 36 tours.
Armored Warfare In The Jungle Environment
by Major Kevin S. WimmerThis study examines armored warfare in a jungle environment. The focus is to determine if there is a role for ground mounted armored forces in jungle warfare. This study explains how armor was used in past jungle conflicts and examines current doctrine and applicability of employment of armor in the jungle.The first portion of the research focuses on discerning how armor was used in past jungle conflicts. The Pacific campaign of World War II and the Vietnam War are examined to determine the historical role of armor in a jungle environment. Early employment of armor in these two conflicts is examined to determine the criteria for use of armored forces in the jungle and examines the tactics, techniques, and procedures that were developed during these conflicts.The second portion of this study focuses on the feasibility of current employment of armor in a jungle environment. Current Army and Marine armored doctrine is examined and interviews are conducted to determine if current armored systems could and should be employed in jungle warfare. Additionally, officers from foreign countries are interviewed to determine how armored forces are employed in the jungle areas of their countries.